Aeroplane control.



W.'D. WARNER.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT; 4, 1911.

' Patented Nov. 5,1913.

W/TNESSES: fl% I 4 I flu/ML WWW v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DESHLER WARNER, or DAYTON, OHIO.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application filed October 4,- 1917. Serial No. 194,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DESHLER WARNER, citizen of the United States, residthe structure,

trols, tion.

ing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane Conof which the following is a specifica- My invention relates to aeroplanes or'fly ing machines and more particularly ,to the control means therefor. While the construction and device forming the subject matter hereof is particularly'designed for use upon aeroplanes of the stick controlled type, it is to be understood that it is not necessarily. limited to this particular type of machine but may beapplied to other types of flying machines or other vehicles, or to the control lever of apparatus or machines of diflerent character such as machine tools or other apparatus under conditions whereln it 1s desirable that the hands of the operator be 7 free for various'manipulative actions Without releasing control of the apparatus.

' The object of the invention is to simplify as well as the means and mode of operation of such control apparatus "whereby "it will not only becheapened in constructiombut will be eflicient in operation, universal in its'application, easily and 1, quicklyflapplied, readily adjusted to suitthe tions.

convenience of the operator, and unlikely to get out of repair.

' 'A further object of the invention to provide a simple means by which governing control may be maintained over the control element 'of an aeroplane or other vehicle or apparatus, independent of manual or pedal efifort, thus enabling the operator to' employ his hands and his feet for different opera- With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, f

sists'of the featuresof construction, the parts band combinations thereof, and themode of lfuselage disclosing the stick control lever to which the present invention has been apoperation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of an aeroplane plied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the mode of using the invention. Fig.

3 is a detail perspective view ofithe control lever attachment detached'therefrom. Fig.

the invention con- "as circumstances may necessitate, while operator employs hls hand inthe 11131111011- l is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the bearing sleeve or hub. Fig. 6 illustratesthe device applied to a wheel control mechanism.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference views.

In the drawings, 1 is the body portion or fuselage of the aeroplane which contains the cock pit 2 within which the operator is stationed. Located within the cock pit 2 is a chair or seat 3 in front of which is the con trol lever 4:. As commonly constructed the control lever 45 is mounted for oscillatory movement in different planes. The usual method of stick control is to arrange and throughout the several connect the lever t in such manner that its fore and aft oscillation controls to vary the vertical inclination chine. At the same time the lever A by its lateral or transverse oscillation serves to con trol the ailerons or the warping of the wings as the case may be, in order to maintam the equilibrium of the machine and assist in banking on turns or deviations from a straight course.

the control lever 5 to a rock shaft the elevator mon aeroplane control construction which '18 here described only in order that the application and use of thedevice forming the subject matter of the present invention may be more readily and thoroughly understood.

It may befurther said that in the same general construction the rudder is operated.

to effect lateral guidance by foot or, pedal controlled means such as the foot bar 9, Fig.2. V V

In order that the stick control lever A may be held fixedly in any adjusted position or may be shifted fore or aft or transversely the lation of a machine gun, a photographic camera; signaling apparatus, or hand'fire.

arms, or in map making, taking observaof the ma' As shown in the drawing,

tions, or in the adjustment of his engine or apparatus, is the primary object of the present invention. To this end there is provided upon the control lever l a pair of oppositely disposed concave leg engaging pallets 10 interconnected one with the other by an intermediate yoke 11 embodying therein ahub or sleeve 12 through which the shaft of the control lever 4 extends. The interconnected pallets 10 are adapted to be engaged upon the lever l in any position of vertical or rotary adjustment by means of a set screw 13 which may engage the shaft of the lever 1 directly but preferably engages a clamping or hearing plate 14 adjustably seated in the inner periphery of the sleeve or hub 12. The set screw 13 by which the clamping action of the bearing plate 1& is eifected, is preferably positioned at an inclination to the axis of the lever l, being normally positioned rearwardly and upwardly for easy and ready access. The outer faces of the pallets 10 are preferably although not necessarily concaved to agree with the anatomical contour of the operators limbs, at a point adjacent to the inner side of the knee. To prevent any undue chafing or rubbing, the rear edge of the pallet is preferably formed into an inward turned lip 15. In order to afford a sufliciently tenacious engagement of the operators legs with the control device the concave or outer faces of the pallets 10 are preferably roughened or corrugated. In the drawing such corrugations or roughened surface has been shown in the form of vertically disposed ribs or beads arranged in substantially parallel relation.

In operation, the interconnected leg engaging pallets 10 are adjusted vertically upon the control lever 4; to a position in which they will be conveniently and comfortably engaged or gripped between the operators limbs immediately above the knees as shown in Fig. 2, while the operators feet are engaged with the foot bar or pedal steering device 9. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the control lever 4: may be firmly and fixedly held in any adjusted position by the gripping action of the operators legs, leaving his hands free for such purposes as may be necessary, while his feet control the steering apparatus. At the same time, without the necessity of manual or pedal operation, by a lateral or swinging knee action the control lever i may be shifted transversely as circumstances may necessitate to maintain the even balance or equilibrium of the machine. In the control of large machines or under such atmospheric or wind conditions under which the ailerons aiford considerable resistance, or the planes resist their warping action the present device will be found of material and valuable assistance in supplementing the manual manipulation of the lever.

In addition to the lateral adjustment of the lever 4 by the knee action, the operator may by a bodily shifting movement either with or without movement of the seat 3 effect a fore and aft adjustment of the lever 41- while held between the knees, independent of manual effort.

This device is now being used with material and marked beneficial results at the Government Aviation Training School at Dayton, Ohio, where its practicability and utility have been thoroughly demonstrated.

Fig. 6 illustrates the device applied to a wheel control mechanism. In this form of control the wheel 16 is mounted upon an oscillatory yoke 17. Pivoted concentric with the wheel 16 is a pendant arm 18 capable of free swinging movement independent of the wheel 16. A clamp 19 is provided for interengaging the arm 18 at will with, the wheel. Mounted upon the arm 18 are the pallets 10 as before described. The operator is enabled to oscillate the wheel by a lateral shifting knee movement and by a fore and aft movement can swing the yoke 17. The adjustment of the device and its mode of use are as before described.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described, possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts, without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statutes, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to certain structural features, it is to be. understoo.d that the invention is not limited to any specific details, but that the means, and construction herein described comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possible forms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with an. aeroplane embodying an oscillatory control lever capable of both lateral and fore and aft movement, of a pair of oppositely disposed leg engaging pallets carried by the. control lever adapted to be gripped between the legs of the operator.

2. The combination with a movable control member, of a pair of oppositely disposed leg engaging pallets connected therewith and adapted to be gripped between the legs of the operator whereby the control member is held and manipulated by knee action of the operator independent of manual or pedal effort.

3. The combination with a movable con trol element, of a pair of oppositely disposed leg engaging pallets adjustably mounted thereon and adapted to be gripped between the legs of the operator thereby enabling the governing of the control member in its different directions of movement by knee action of the operator.

4. The combination with a movable control member, of a pair of oppositely disposed allets located on opposite sides of the controi member, an intermediate yoke connecting said allets, said intermediate yoke bein adjusta ly connected with the control mem er.

5. The combination with a movable control member, of a pair of oppositely disposed pallets, an intermediate yoke integrally connecting said pallets, said yoke having therein an eye through hich the control member extends.

6. A control member attachment of the character described, comprising a pair of oppositely disposed concave pallets on opposite sides of the control member, and an intermediate yoke integral with the pallets connecting the pallets one with the other.

7. A control member attachment of the character described, comprising a pair of oppositely disposed interconnected concave pallets, said pallets having a series of vertical corrugations in their concave faces.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 8. A control member attachment of the character described, comprising a pair of oppositely disposed interconnected concave 3 pallets, the concave faces of said pallets being provided'with frictional engaging sur- 9. The combination with an aeroplane including a laterally movable oscillatory con- 40 trol lever, of a pair of oppositely disposed leg engaging pallets carried thereby and adapted to be engaged between the legs of the operator, whereby said lever may be shifted laterally by a lateral knee movement of the operator independent of manual or pedal effort.

10. The combination with an aeroplane including an oscillatory lever movable in a fore and aft direction, of a pair of oppositely disposed leg engaging pallets carried thereby and adapted to be engaged between the legs of the operator, whereby said lever may be shifted fore and aft by a shifting movement of the operators body independent of manual or pedal efiort.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my7hand this 25th day of September A. D. 191

WM. DESHLER WARNER.

Witnesses v D. W. IDDINGS,

F. L. WALKER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

